Talent identification among elite Czech male junior tennis players (U12) according to their future tennis performance and birthdate
Abstract
Talent identification (TI) in sport, which is the selection of individuals disposed to achieve elite performance in adulthood, is often based on physical fitness testing. TI is linked to the phenomenon called the Relative Age Effect (RAE), referring to the influence of birthdate on sports performance. This retrospective study is based on the assumption that elite adult athletes possessed indicators predictive of a successful career already at a young age. The study aimed to assess the differences among Czech male tennis players according to 1) their tennis performance in adulthood, 2) their birthdate in each semester (S). The participants were players U12 who were later among top 1000 in the ATP Singles Rankings (SR). The research data was obtained during regular testing of the Czech Tennis Association (1998–2019). Significant differences between subgroups R1 (SR 1st - 500th) and R2 (SR 501st - 1000th) were found, surprisingly in favor of R2 in 4 variables. Significant differences were found in favor of B1 (born in S1) in 2 variables, and in favor of B2 (born in S2) in 2 variables.
Downloads
References
Abbott, A., & Collins, D. (2004). Eliminating the dichotomy between theory and practice in talent identification and development: considering the role of psychology. Journal of Sports Sciences, 22(5), 395–408. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410410001675324
Agricola, A., Zháněl, J., & Hubáček, O. (2013). Relative age effect in junior tennis (male). Acta Universitatis Palackianae Olomucensis. Gymnica, 43(1), 27–33. https://gymnica.upol.cz/
Baker, J., Wattie, N., & Schorer, J. (2019). A proposed conceptualization of talent in sport: The first step in a long and winding road. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 43(2019), 27–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.12.016
Barnsley, R., Thompson, A., & Barnsley, P. (1985). Hockey success and birthdate: the relative age effect. CAHPER Journal, 51(8), 23–28.
Baxter-Jones, A. D. G. (1995). Growth and development of young athletes. Sports Medicine, 20(2), 59–64.
Cobley, S., Baker, J., Wattie, N., & McKenna, J. (2009). Annual Age-Grouping and Athlete Development: A Meta-Analytical Review of Relative Age Effect in Sports. Sports Medicine, 39(3), 235–256. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200939030-00005
Cohen, D. D., Voss, C., Taylor, M. J., Stasinopoulos, D. M., Delextrat, A., & Sandercock, G. R. (2010). Handgrip strength in English schoolchildren. Acta Paediatrica, 99(7), 1065-1072. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1651-2227.2010.01723.x
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Crespo, M., & McInerney, P. (2006). Talent identification and development in tennis. ITF Coaching & Sport Science Review, 14(39), 2–3. https://www.itftennis.com
Cumming, G. (2013). The new statistics: A how‐to guide. Australian Psychologist, 48(3), 161–170. https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12018
Dodds, R. M., Syddall, H. E., Cooper, R., Benzeval, M., Deary, I. J., Dennison, E. M., ... & Sayer, A. A. (2014). Grip Strength across the Life Course: Normative Data from Twelve British Studies. PLoS ONE, 9(12), e113637. https://doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0113637
Dudink, A. (1994). Birth date and sporting success. Nature, 368(6472), 592–592.
Fernandez-Fernandez, J., Ulbricht, A., & Ferrauti, A. (2014). Fitness testing of tennis players: How valuable is it? British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(8), 22–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2013-093152
Ferrauti, A., Maier, P., & Weber, K. (2014). Handbuch für Tennistraining: Leistung – Athletik - Gesundheit. Aachen, Německo: Meyer & Meyer Verlag.
Filipčič, A. (2001). Birth date and success in tennis. Coaching & sport science review, 23, 9–11.
Filipčič, A., Filipčič, T., & Leskošek, B. (2015). Differences in physical fitness among young tennis players in between 1992 and 2008. Collegium Antropologicum, 39(1), 131–143.
Fredriksen, P. M., Mamen, A, Hjelle, O. P. & Lindberg, M. (2018). Handgrip strength in 6–12-year-old children: The Health Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP). Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 46(21), 54–60. https://doi.org/10.1177/1403494818769851
Gerdin, G., Hedberg, M., & Hageskog, C. (2018). Relative age effect in Swedish male and female tennis players born in 1998–2001. Sports, 6(2), 38. http://doi:10.3390/sports6020038
Gonçalves, C. E. B., Rama, L. M. L., & Figueiredo, A. B. (2012). Talent identification and specialization in sport: An overview of some unanswered questions. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 7(4), 390–393. https://journals.humankinetics.com/
Grondin, S., Deshaies, P., & Nault, L. (1983). Trimestre de naissance et participation au hockey et au volleyball. Revue Quebecoise De L'activite Physique, 2(3), 97–103.
Hohmann, A., Lames, M., & Letzeter, M. (2007). Einführung in die Trainingswissenschaft. Wiebelsheim: Limpert Verlag.
Hohmann, A., Siener, M., & He, R. (2018). Prognostic validity of talent orientation in soccer. German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research, 48(4), 478–488. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12662-018-0549-5
Juzwiak, C. R., Amancio, O. M., Vitalle, M. S., Pinheiro, M. M., & Szejnfeld, V. L. (2008). Body composition and nutritional profile of male adolescent tennis players. Journal of Sports Sciences, 26(11), 1209–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410801930192
Johnston, K., Wattie, N., Schorer, J., & Baker, J. (2018). Talent identification in sport: A systematic review. Sports Medicine, 48(1), 97–109. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0803-2
Kolínský, R., & Zháněl, J. (2019). Lateral differences in maximal grip strength in Czech male tennis players aged 11–12 in the context of injury prevention. Studia Sportiva, 13(1), 55–62. https://doi.org/10.5817/StS2019-1-6
Koloničný, R., Bozděch, M., & Zháněl, J. (2018). Longitudinal study of the influence of the relative age effect (RAE) on Czech tennis players aged 10–12. Studia sportiva, 12(1), 125–131. https://doi.org/10.5817/StS2018-1-14
Kramer, T., Huijgen, B. C. H., Elferink-Gemser, M. T., & Visscher, C. (2017). Prediction of tennis performance in junior elite tennis players. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 16(1), 14–21. https://www.jssm.org/
Li P., Weissensteiner, J. R., Pion, J. and De Bosscher, V. (2020). Predicting elite success: Evidence comparing the career pathways of top 10 to 300 professional tennis players. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 15(5–6), 793–802. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747954120935828
Miller, P. K., Cronin, C., & Baker, G. (2015). Nurture, nature and some very dubious social skills: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of talent identification practices in elite English youth soccer. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 7(5), 642–662. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2015.1012544
Miranda, M. (2008). Considerations on talent in tennis. ITF Coaching and Sport Science Review, 15(44), 7–8.
Musch, J., & Grondin, S. (2001). Unequal competition as an impediment to personal development: A review of the relative age effect in sport. Developmental Review, 21(2), 147–167. https://doi.org/10.1006/drev.2000.0516
Myburgh, G. K., Cumming, S. P., Silva, M. C., Cooke, K., & Malina, R. M. (2016). Maturity-associated variation in functional characteristics of elite youth tennis players. Pediatric exercise science, 28(4), 542–552. https://doi.org/10.1123/pes.2016-0035
Pearson, D. T., Naughton, G. A., & Torode, M. (2006). Predictability of physiological testing and the role of maturation in talent identification for adolescent team sports. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 9(4), 277–287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2006.05.020
Pereira, H. M., de Oliveira Menacho, M., Takahashi, R. H., & Cardoso, J. R. (2011). Handgrip strength evaluation on tennis players using different recommendations. Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Esporte, 17(3), 184–188.
Ribeiro Junior, D. B., Macedo Vianna, J., de Assis Lauria, A., Coelho, E. F., & Zacaron Werneck, F. (2019). Sports potential modeling of young basketball players: A preliminary analysis. Brazilian Journal of Kineanthropometry & Human Performance, 21, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-0037.2019v21e59832
Romann, M., Rössler, R., Javet, M., & Faude, O. (2018). Relative age effects in Swiss talent development - a nationwide analysis of all sports. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(17), 2025–2031. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2018.1432964
Schorer, J., Rienhoff, R., Fischer, L., & Baker, J. (2017). Long-term prognostic validity of talent selections: Comparing national and regional coaches, laypersons and novices. Frontiers in Psychology, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01146
Schönborn, R. (2006). Optimales Tennistraining: Der Weg zum erfolgreichen Tennis vom Anfänger bis zur Weltspitze. Balingen: Spitta Verlag.
Tudor, P. B., Vučetić, V., Milanović, D., Novak, D., & Dudašek, B. (2015). Morphological and physiological profile indicators of physical fitness in male tennis players aged 12, 14 and 16 years. Kinesiology, 47(1), 82–90.
Ulbricht, A., Fernandez-Fernandez, J., Mendez-Villanueva, A., & Ferrauti, A. (2015). The relative age effect and physical fitness characteristics in German male tennis players. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 14(3), 634–642.
Ulbricht, A., Fernandez-Fernandez, J., Mendez-Villanueva, A., & Ferrauti, A. (2016). Impact of fitness characteristics on tennis performance in elite junior tennis players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 30(4), 989–998. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001267
Unierzyski, P. (2006). Foundations for Talent Identification and Player Development Programmes. ITF Coaching & Sport Science Review, 14(39), 3–5.
Unierzyski, P., Wielinski, D., & Zhanel, J. (2003). Searching for reasons for success and failure in the careers of young tennis players – a study of two individual cases. In S. Miler (Ed.), Tennis Science & Technology 2, 253–259. London: International Tennis Federation.
Zháněl, J., Černošek, M., Zvonař, M., Nykodým, J., Vespalec, T., & López Sánchez, G. F. (2015). Comparison of the level of top tennis players’ performance preconditions (Case study). Apunts: Educación Física y Deportes, 122, 52–60. https://doi.org/10.5672/apunts.2014-0983.es.(2015/4).122.06
Zháněl, J., Holeček, P. & Zderčík, A. (2021). Comparison of the Evaluation of Performance Preconditions in Tennis with the Use of Equal and Expertly Judged Criteria Body Masss. International Journal of Computer Science in Sport, 20(1), 79–91. https://doi.org/10.2478/ijcss-2021-0005
Zhanel, J., Vaverka, F., Zlesak, F., & Unierzyski, P. (2003). The performance preconditions of Czech world junior tennis champions, 14 years and under, girls. In S. Miler (Ed.), Tennis Science & Technology 2, 247–252. London: International Tennis Federation.
The works and papers that are published in this Journal are subject to the following terms:
1. The Publication Service of the University of Murcia (the publisher) has the Publication Rights (Copyright) to the published papers and works, and favors and permits the reusing of the same under the license indicated in point 2.
© Servicio de Publicaciones, Universidad de Murcia, 2013
2. The papers and works are to be published in the digital edition of the Journal under the license Creative Commons Reconocimiento-No Comercial-Sin Obra Derivada 3.0 España (legal text). The copying, using, spreading, transmitting and publicly displaying of the papers, works or publication are permitted as long as: i) the authors and original sources (Journal, publisher and URL of the publication) are quoted; ii) it is not used for commercial benefit; iii) the existence and specifications of this users license are mentioned.
3. Conditions of Self-Archiving. It is permitted and encouraged that the authors spread electronically the pre-print (before printing) and/or post-print (the revised, evaluated and accepted) versions of their papers or works before their publication since this favors their circulation and early diffusion and therefore can help increase their citation and quotation, and also there reach through the academic community.
The works and papers that are published in this Journal are subject to the following terms:
1. The Publication Service of the University of Murcia (the publisher) has the Publication Rights (Copyright) to the published papers and works, and favors and permits the reusing of the same under the license indicated in point 2.
© Servicio de Publicaciones, Universidad de Murcia, 2013
2. The papers and works are to be published in the digital edition of the Journal under the license Creative Commons Reconocimiento-No Comercial-Sin Obra Derivada 3.0 España (legal text). The copying, using, spreading, transmitting and publicly displaying of the papers, works or publication are permitted as long as: i) the authors and original sources (Journal, publisher and URL of the publication) are quoted; ii) it is not used for commercial benefit; iii) the existence and specifications of this users license are mentioned.
3. Conditions of Self-Archiving. It is permitted and encouraged that the authors spread electronically the pre-print (before printing) and/or post-print (the revised, evaluated and accepted) versions of their papers or works before their publication since this favors their circulation and early diffusion and therefore can help increase their citation and quotation, and also there reach through the academic community.
